New Jedi Order: Reunited
by Gabe Z
Summary: First part of a series about what happened to Zekk, Raynar, Lusa, etc after graduation from the Jedi academy.
1. I - Hello Old Friend

New Jedi Order: Reunited I - Hello Old Friend

By Gabe Z.

Disclaimer-Yeah, yeah, George Lucas owns Star Wars and everything.

This takes place during the events of the Agents of Chaos duology in the New Jedi Order story arc. While the novels focus on Han, this story (the first of perhaps two or three) follows some of the other young Jedi Knights and what they did after graduation.

Jaina walked out of Colonel Darklighter's office, trying not to look half as awful as she felt. Not two days ago she had been shot down over some backwater moon by a coralskipper, and had barely survived long enough to be rescued. She had been badly injured when she ejected, but she felt capable of piloting. Colonel Darklighter, however, seemed to have other ideas. He removed her from the active duty roster for a month, and it was final; there was nothing she could do to persuade him otherwise. First, her wingmate Anni Capstan had been killed because Jaina had failed to protect her, and now she was inactive. Jaina hung her head and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her grey jumpsuit. She headed down the corridor towards her quarters, brooding.

- - - -

Jaina sat down at the desk in her now-empty quarters. No chatter or gossip from Anni. Just the grim holomessage from her parents. Jaina slumped back in her chair and felt a tear run down her cheek. She had barely known Anni; hell, she barely joined Rogue Squadron. The fight against the Yuuzhan Vong was beginning to look more and more hopeless by the day. _Sithspit, Jaina. Stop pitying yourself like this. Get up, do something._ Jaina looked up from the cold silver of the desk and reached to turn on the computer terminal in the far corner of her desk. _If I'm not going to be active, I guess it won't hurt to see who is._

Rogue Squadron had been taking severe losses in skirmishes and dogfights with the Vong, and new pilots came in daily. She skimmed the personnel files, stopping at a few that interested her. The one that caught her attention outright, however, was the new XO of the squadron. "Hek Tukl. . ." She wondered aloud. The name seemed to have a familiar ring to it; but she couldn't quite place it. The identification photo also confirmed that she had seen the man somewhere before. It was a picture of a man with short, black hair that stood straight up in thick spikes. He had a thick goatee with a large tuft of hair hanging from his chin. He had cool green eyes and handsome features. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. It was getting late; she should get to bed. Jaina deactivated the console and turned off the desk lamp. She laid on the sleeping pallet, but she was kept awake by the picture of the new XO. He looked so familiar, and yet so distant. . . She drifted off to sleep, but it was a fitful one, permeated by visions of the man.

- - - -

Raynar Thul rose from the command chair of the Attack Cruiser _Spearhead_, the newest acquisition of the Bornaryn fleet. Ahead, four squadrons of retrofitted Z-95 Headhunters were doing battle with as many coralskippers. In the distance, a Yuuzhan Vong cruiser augmented the strength of the skips, and Raynar was not too damn happy about it. "Lieutenant, order the _Nova_ and the _Patriot_ to attack the Vong cruiser, maximum firepower."

"Yes, Captain Thul." came the officer's level reply.

Raynar sank back into the chair. Being the heir to the Bornaryn fleet wasn't all it was cracked up to be. His mother, Aryn Dro Thul had resigned her command of the fleet just over a year ago, shortly after Raynar had graduated from the Jedi academy. It was hard to use his Jedi senses to do anything of consequence in a naval battle between titanic battleships, but sometimes. . . "Captain, order squadrons Alpha and Gamma to protect grid A23 on my mark. . ." he trailed off. "Mark."

The remains of Alpha and Gamma squadrons, thirteen Headhunters, streaked away from their battles into the designated sector, just as a dozen coralskippers blasted out of space and opened fire. A barrage of molten plasma was unleashed and three Headhunters were crippled and destroyed as the fighters rushed to meet each other. A flurry of concussion missiles and tri-laser blasts greeted the squadron of skips. About half of the barrage was dissipated into nothingness by dovin basals, but enough got through to incinerate five of the skips. "Good call, captain."

"Thank you, lieutenant."

Raynar nodded, satisfied. He had just protected the flank of his own flagship by distracting the coralskippers with a squad of fighters. He may only have been eighteen, but he was getting the hang of this command thing.

In the distance, a flash caught his attention as the _Nova_ and the _Patriot_ opened fire on the Vong cruiser. Wave after wave of orange turbolaser fire poured into the rocklike ship. The Vong ship was definitely taking damage, but so were his two ships. A panicked voice blared over the intercom. "Fxxxsstt. . . shields... ffssssst.. . failing. . .Ahhhhh!" The scream cut off as the _Nova_ melted into molten slag under the barrage of plasma rocks. Raynar winced, but as the _Nova_ went down, the _Patriot_ proceeded to get enough fire through to fragment the Vong cruiser. Raynar breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the remaining Headhunters were able to finish off the now-confused coralskippers. Well, it had been a victory. But at heavy cost. "Damage report." he said, his voice heavy with sadness.

"_Patriot_ reports minor hull damage. Hyperdrive is damaged, but can make a jump. They report about 15% casualties." he paused to pore over some more reports. "We have sustained damage to sublight engines and life support systems. Shields are at fifty-one percent."

"Right, what about the fighters?"

"Alpha reports five losses, three damaged. Beta reports eight lost, one damaged. . . Gamma was completely destroyed and Delta lost seven."

Raynar sunk further into the chair. Some of those pilots had been his close friends. And now he would have to send letters to all their families. He hated the task. And there were always at least a dozen letters to be written, and the task was becoming mundane. "Set course for the rendezvous point and engage hyperdrive as soon as all fighters are on board."

"Yes, sir." replied the helmsman.

The rendezvous was Rogue Squadron's damaged headquarters, of course. The mobile base had suffered major damage in a Vong attack and were in need of relocation. And Raynar had volunteered to provide just that. He had heard that his old friend Jaina Solo had joined Rogue Squadron recently; he looked forward to seeing her again. It had been a while. Raynar issued a final order as he walked to his quarters. "Commander, you have the bridge. Just keep us on course. Buzz me if anything happens. "Will do, captain."

Raynar walked through corridor after corridor until finally he came to his own quarters. He punched in his keycode and the door hissed open. He walked through and closed the door, and then plopped down heavily into the sole chair in the room. To the rear of the room was a large metal desk, facing out to a large viewport. On the wall beside the desk was a large holopicture of Lusa, his fiancee. His sad demeanor melted as he looked at the portrait of his beautiful bride to be. He remembered how he had met her, on Yavin, after she had escaped the Diversity Alliance's vile clutches. He had been in love with her since the first moment he saw her, and just before they graduated, he had done something about it. He proposed. She said yes, and they were to be married in little over two weeks. He smiled and reached for his portable holocomm unit. He keyed it on and punched in Lusa's personal frequency. As far as he knew, she was still on Yavin 4, helping train Jedi students to fight the Vong. He was rewarded when her beautiful face and cinnamon colored mane appeared on the screen. "Hello, Lusa."

"Oh, Raynar! So good to hear from you."

"Same here. How's everything at the academy?"

"Hectic. . . but that's how everything's been lately."

"Yeah. We're en route to Rogue Squadron headquarters now. We should be at Yavin within the week."

"Oh, good! Oh, if you see Jaina, give her my best, would you?"

"Of course, dear."

"I love you, Raynar."

"And I love you, Lusa."

He cut off the transmission and her face disappeared from the screen. He smiled. He would get to be with her soon enough.

- - - -

Jaina hopped out of the simulator's cockpit and removed her helmet. She walked over to her locker and placed the battered white and blue checked helmet. She began to strip off her orange flight suit. She reached into her flight locker and removed one of the comfortable grey jumpsuits that she often favored when she was not on duty. And, as of late, there was no duty to be had. She had spent the last hour vaporizing coralskippers in a simulated A-Wing. She had been growing fond of the agile craft in simulators. She admired their speed, but hardly felt safe between two blaster cannons and light shields. Oh well, just a sim, she though to herself.

As she closed her locker and walked out of the locker room in the staging room of the training area, a man approached. "Lieutenant Solo?"

"Yes?"

It was that new XO, Hek Tukl. "I'm the new executive officer for the squadron, Hek Tukl. I'm just going around introducing myself to all the pilots and staff." he extended his hand and she took it tentatively. Then it hit her. "Oh my Gods. . . Zekk?"

Then it all came pouring back to her. Shortly after graduation, they had had a falling out and had gone their different ways: Jaina to Rogue Squadron, Zekk to New Republic Military. "Jaina, I can't pretend anymore. I really missed you while we were apart. I thought you'd hate me for the rest of my life. . ."

Jaina felt tears in her eyes. After a year and half, the man she knew she had always known she had loved was back. And she hadn't seen it when she looked at his file. But now. . . she knew. He embraced her, and they stood in the sim room, holding each other, for what seemed to be an eternity. "I love you, Zekk."

"I love you, Jaina."

  
  


Sorry that was so short. . . it was just a prologue though. Be on the lookout for part one soon!


	2. 

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_**New Jedi Order: Reunion II - Changes**_  


[Back to NJO][1] By Gabe Z.  
[guerrillaradi0@hotmail.com][2]  
New Jedi Order  
Yeah, GL owns Star Wars and everything.  
  
This continues my story about the Young Jedi Knights after graduation. I'm sorry I didn't get Lowie in here, I'll go for that it part III. Sorry if part I was a little short; and sorry if it was a bit lovey. This one has more action and @$$kicking, don't worry.  
  
Speaking of part III, it might be a while coming, because next week, in addition to school, I have Driver's Ed. So the weekends will probably be my only writing time. Just be patient, I'm not abandoning my story. Also, I just got 8 new Star Wars books! I'll be doing more reading and less writing. Hey, if you like it, cool, just have faith.  


"Oh, Gods, Zekk! I can't!" cried Jaina as she broke from their embrace and turned away, covering her teary face with her hands.

"Jaina. . ." he began.

She seemed not to hear him as she ran out of the simulator room, into the adjoining corridor, crying. Running until she reached her quarters, she flew inside and threw herself onto the bed, sobbing. She was torn apart by a sudden flood of emotions. The love she had always known for Zekk; being torn inside when he turned to the Dark Side, and later, their harsh exchange of words that had led them to go off on their separate ways. And now he was back? Softly sobbing, she began to pack her small collection of personal items for the coming relocation, trying to get her mind off of Zekk, and the sudden cascade of emotion she felt.

- - - -

"Major, have all of the pilot quarters and facilities been prepared?"

"Yes, Captain Thul."

Raynar simply nodded approval and stopped pacing along the center line of the _Spearhead_'s bridge. The damage to his flagship, thankfully, had been repairable, and all systems were functioning properly, except for a number of almost trivial damages that could wait as long as need be. The _Patriot_, the other surviving cruiser, had not been as lucky. Their hyperdrive was completely destroyed and they would have to limp back to Rogue Squadron headquarters under sublight power. He bowed his head and said a silent prayer for the crewmen onboard that ship. He tilted his head up and say Rogue Squadron's damaged headquarters hanging in space. "Sir, headquarters at five nine point eight six one."

"Thank you, crewman." Trying not to let any annoyance creep into his voice.

- - - -

Jaina watched disinterestedly from her cabin viewpoint as the _Spearhead_ began its approach to the station. A moment later, she felt a dull _thunk_ of metal connecting to metal as the Rogues' new headquarters docked with their old, damaged base. Jaina rose from her bed and decided that she would go greet Raynar. He would probably be discussing important matters with a dozen high-ranking officers, but she was sure that he could make a little time to talk with an old acquaintance. She smiled, glad to have something to do that would take her mind off of Zekk."

- - - -

Jaina rounded the corner and found herself surprised at the vacancy of the docking bay. _Efficient men. They've already got all of the transports out._ She walked further in and saw a know of people, in khaki New Republic uniforms, talking to others in less familiar uniforms. Probably Raynar's crew. She scanned for a familiar face within the crowd, and spotted him. Or at least she thought he did. The man certainly had Raynar's face, but looked so different. She did a double take and decided that it was indeed Raynar.

She walked closer as Raynar broke away from his official conferencing and turned to stare out at the stars. She sidled up beside him and took in the stars for a moment as well. He looked so much different; he had changed a lot since she had seen him last, a year ago. He was a good four or five inches taller than her; she had always been an inch taller than him, but no more. He had lost the pudge around his waist that had never seemed to change at the academy. He apparently no longer favored the garishly colored robes that had so long been his trademark, in favor of a form fitting evergreen and black jumpsuit. He now painted quite a figure, she thought. Lucky Lusa.

"Hello, Jaina."

"Oh, hi, Raynar. Good to see you."

"Same here. . ." he trailed off with a sigh.

"How are things going for the fleet?"

He bowed his head and spoke. "Good and bad. We just won a battle with a Vong cruiser, but we lost one of out cruisers in the process. Our other ship is limping here on damaged sublight power."

"That's terrible! I'm sorry."

"Please, don't be."

Jaina decided that she didn't want to talk about death or battles with the Vong right at that moment, so she switched the subject quickly. "So, um, is Lusa alright."

Raynar lifted his head and smiled. "Oh yes, very well. She's back at the academy, training students. We're getting married in a few weeks, you know."

"Really? That's great news!"

"I think we're going to have Master Skywalker perform the ceremony on Yavin. I know he's been busy lately, but I have little doubt that he could make a little time for two lovestruck former students."

Jaina grinned, remembering Luke's own marriage to Mara Jade. "I think he'll be more than happy."

"I'm glad."

- - - -

Jaina finished talking to Raynar and turned to get back to her packing. Walking out of the hangar, she bumped into Zekk. "Jaina." he said gruffly.

She said nothing, but backed away as he cast no glance back in her direction. She kept slowly walking backwards, until she unexpectedly bumped into a rather solid figure. She turned and saw the frame of Jagged Fel. "Oh!" she exclaimed, not realizing that she was still up against him.

"Hello, Jaina. Have you been alright? I have not seen you in the briefing room during this last week."

She looked down, not realizing that she was still holding him close to her. She didn't want to let go. "Well, some things have happened. My wingmate Anni was killed, and then I had to bail out, and I was injured. Colonel Darklighter pulled me off of the active duty roster."

"Ah. There is no greater insult to a warrior than to be removed from battle."

"Well, I might not say that. . ."

"That man you passed. You seem to be avoiding him. Why?"

He didn't fool around, did he? She was a bit put off, but remembered that Chiss could be gruff at times. "Well, you could say that. . . he's an old friend, but we've been apart for a long time. . ."

Jag's face seemed to droop ever so slightly at the mention of 'being apart'; he must have taken it that she and Zekk were involved. And, truth be told, she was no longer sure. "Well, I am going to practice in a simulation, Jaina. Please join me if you would like."

"I just might."

- - - -

Jacen Solo sat quietly in the office on the lower level of the Massassi temple on Yavin 4. Corran Horn entered the room and sat lazily in the chair behind the wooden desk that was the centerpiece of the room. "Jacen, I suppose you're wondering why you're here?"

"Well, of course."

Corran smiled at his impatient remark. "Alright. We have information that the Yuuzhan Vong have placed spies on Dathomir. And judging from the natives of Dathomir, it probably wouldn't be too difficult. It's also along what we have pegged as their invasion route. Here, take a look a this."

Corran tossed Jacen a datapad and Jacen activated it and skimmed over it. "Alright, when do I leave?"

"As soon as you're packed. You'll be taking the _Aquarius_. Oh, one more thing. You have a partner for this mission. They asked not to give you a name. Hurry, and you'll find out soon enough."

"Mmm hmm." was all Jacen could say.

His curiosity was definitely piqued by that mention of a partner. Taking Corran's advice, he hurried back to his guest quarters and threw a few items into a satchel, curiosity getting the better of him. He completed his hurried packing and fairly ran to the landing pad, to discover his mystery partner.

- - - -

__Jaina tugged on her flight gloves and strode to the nearest sim pod. It was probably the last chance she'd get to do any piloting, real or otherwise, before relocation, so she decided to make it a good run. Only one pod was occupied; that'd be Jag she thought. She activated the pod's computer and gave her voice authorization. "Lieutenant Jaina Solo, clearance four see one alpha."

The pod's hatch hissed open and she gladly climbed in. The interior was dark, but as the pod door closed, small lights along the walls illuminated the consoles before her. She quickly activated Sparky's sim routine and selected an X-Wing as her craft of choice. She decided to join Jag's sim, and take her chances with whatever he was battling.

The darkness around her faded into stars and explosions as she was cast into the middle of an in-progress fray. Quickly scanning the scene, she ascertained that Jag was running one of the Vong simulations. She jinked and rolled as a coralskipper shot past her, unleashing one of its lethal plasma barrages. Putting her game face on, Jaina throttled up and headed for the center of the dogfight, vaporization on her mind.

- - - -

__Jacen walked up the boarding ramp of the _Aquarius_ and cast a final look out of the open hatch, just before it slammed shut with a clang of reverberating metal. He carelessly threw his satchel into the rear cabin and walked quickly into the front, eager to discover his unknown partner.

Hunched over the controls was a hooded figure, busily activating systems and the like. He sat down quietly in the other pilot chair and said softly, "Hello?"

"Jacen."

From the simple reply of his name, he knew. The figure swivelled their chair towards him and pulled back their hood, to reveal the flaming red braids that Jacen knew so well. "Tenel Ka."

"It's been a long time, Jacen."

"That it. . . has, yes." he was more than a little choked up at the sight of the beautiful warrior girl, no, woman from Dathomir who had won his heart immediately while they were at the academy.

"Tenel Ka, there's something I never told you, something that's very important to me. . ."

"Jacen. Please, let me tell you something. When I graduated from the academy, I returned to Hapes, and. . ."

He finished her sentence. "You were married."

She nodded slowly. Jacen's stomach knotted as his heart sank deep into his gut. He could say nothing else. He just bit his lip and turned the other way. "Jacen!"

He was surprised by her forceful tone. "Jacen, you never said anything! I loved you. I didn't know if you loved me or not. We never said anything about it, and we went our separate ways."

"But you got married. . ."

"Jacen! It was my choice, and I am happy. We could have had a life together. But it never will be."

Jacen tried to hold back tears, and the worst part was that he knew it was true.

- - - -

"Jaina! You're being followed."

Jaina shot a quick glance behind her as Jag warned her. She saw a skip behind her, lining up for a shot. She banked hard to port and rolled around, and was gratified to see the skip go sailing past her, to be slagged by three dual bursts from Jag's TIE Interceptor. "Thanks, Jag."

"My pleasure."

"Jag, check point five five. On my signal, bank hard left and roll, I have an idea."

"Thank you, Jaina, but I know quite well what I must do."

"Just try it. Believe me. That's what this is about, right? Trust?"

The comm was silent for a moment, but Jag's voice came back. "I suppose so."

Jaina smiled, satisfied to have won a small bit of trust from a seemingly paranoid Chiss. A Chiss which she couldn't help but find attractive. "Go!" she fairly yelled.

On cue, Jag's fighter peeled to the left and two coralskippers followed him down. Jaina throttled to full and tore off in pursuit of the skips. Jag was doing a good job of keeping them distracted. Jaina lined up two proton torpedoes and fire, thumbing the switch for premature detonation. She then loosed two quad bursts from her wingtips. Their dovin basals distracted, the first skip was melted when it caught three laser bolts to the wing. The second coralskipper was disabled when a loose chunk of coral flaked off of the burnt out skip and smashed its cockpit to pieces. "Good thinking, Jaina. I apologize for not having more confidence."

"Don't worry about it. Just trust me, eh? Now let's finish off those skips."

- - - -

Jacen sat back in the cabin, brooding, trying to read the datacards Corran had given him. Frustrated, he slammed the card down on the floor and slumped back in his chair, covering his face with one hand. A tear ran down his cheek. Why had he never said anything? He had loved her for years, and he had never said it, not once. And now he never could. He lost the one woman he really cared about. This was going to be a long mission. Oh yes, it was.

- - - -

Jaina hopped out of the sim pod and tugged off her black flight gloves, stuffing them in a side pocket before she walked out into the corridor. "Jaina!" called Jag.

She turned, saying nothing, but her face indicated that she was willing to listen. "That. . . was good flying. You are an excellent pilot."

She really didn't know what to say. "T-thank you."

With that, the Chiss walked off and disappeared around a corner. That was the first time she had ever heard him stutter. Was she actually attractive to him? It seemed that way; his poise was generally unshakable. She smiled and shook her head. She walked down the corridor until she came to her quarters. "Jaina?"

It was Zekk. "Yes, Zekk?" she said without facing him.

"I'm sorry. . . things just haven't been well since we last saw each other."

She faced him. She knew it was true. "I guess so. I'm sorry, I just don't think we're right for each other. . ."

"Then this is goodbye?" he said, a dejected expression on his face.

"No, of course not. You'll always be my friend."

He smiled weakly and disappeared around a corner. She sighed heavily and walked into her room, sitting on the bed. Things were changing, and she wasn't so sure that she liked it.

- - - -

Jacen secretly harbored the hope that he would find some Yuuzhan Vong warriors on Dathomir. The rage was building inside of him, and he needed an outlet. He used a Jedi calming technique, easing his frayed nerves, calming his roiling mind. Tenel Ka gently knocked on the door to the cabin. "What?" he demanded angrily.

"We. . . we're almost to Dathomir."

"Thank you." he snapped, along with some less nice comments under his breath.

He let go of his anger and slumped back on the bed. He had always counted on a life with Tenel Ka, but since they had been apart, things had definitely changed, and moping self pity would get him exactly nowhere. He felt an undeniable loss in his heart, but he strived to understand. He knew it would burden him; but he had to carry on. Jacen hopped up from the bed and opened the door, walking slowly into the cockpit. He plunked down into the pilot chair across from Tenel Ka and turned to face her. "Tenel, I'm sorry about everything I said, it's just. . ."

"I know. Please try to understand."

"I do, I think." Jacen said, calmly as he could. "But we have a mission to complete. I think that should be first on the list. Pitying myself won't get us anywhere."

"Truer words never spoken, friend Jacen."

"Are we still friends?"

"This is a fact." Tenel Ka said lightly, patting Jacen on the back.

- - - -

Jaina looked back out the viewport of her temporary quarters on the _Spearhead_. This was going to be her home for a while, until the New Republic could afford to build new headquarters for its premier fighter squadron. She turned from the viewport and began to unpack her things from the lone, small cloth bag she had brought. First came a picture of her family, all together, from happier days. It was taken after graduation from the Jedi Academy. Chewie was even in the picture. _Chewie_. She missed him. He had been like a father at times: during their brush with Thrackan Sal-Solo on Corellia, even when her mother Leia was pregnant, on a mission to Honoghr to negotiate with the Noghri. Jaina shivered at the mere thought of that species name. Though they were allied to the New Republic, they still managed to put her at unease whenever she saw one.

Next, she removed a small, cheap ring that Zekk had given her on her thirteenth birthday. She played it between her fingers, but quickly stowed it back in the bag. She closed the satchel and rose from her chair. The ship was on the way to Coruscant, for refueling and resupply, and possibly even some shore leave. Jaina would love to have the chance to visit her parents on her homeworld, despite the fact that they probably wouldn't be home most of the time.

Well, now was not the time to think about such things. She walked out of the room and into the corridor outside. She wanted to take a walk to ease her mind and her nerves, but she really had something else in mind. . ."

- - - -

The _Aquarius_ touched down lightly on the moist surface of Dathomir, coming to rest with a sharp hiss of compressed air. Jacen, still not feeling like himself, went into the back of the ship and grabbed the two survival packs that had been provided to them for the mission. He shouldered one and tossed the other to Tenel Ka. He was more than a little shocked when she caught the bag with two good arms. "Your arm. . ." he began.

She sighed. "Yes, I know. I insisted. I might have been stubborn about it in the past, but circumstance demanded that I get a prosthetic."

"I suppose so."

A bit put off, he pulled the straps tight and started down the outstretched boarding ramp. Tenel Ka followed, but discarded her black cloak. Jacen turned to see her in the lizard scale armor she so favored. She looked better than ever, but Jacen averted his eyes. _She's a married woman now, Jacen._

He sighed. Why hadn't he ever said anything? Just teenage nervousness, he guessed. Still. . . oh well, things weren't going to wait for them. He patted the lightsaber at his side, and he felt confidence surge through him. He felt good as Tenel Ka reached out with the Force and calmed him. He stood still, letting himself be soothed. Shaking himself out of the calming trance, he turned back to Tenel Ka and shook his head. He walked across the wet grasses, not even looking back at his partner. And that could have meant so much more.

- - - -

Jaina was secretly excited when she accomplished her secret objective. She ran into him on the observation deck, looking out at the endless void of space. His bluish skin was reflecting wonderfully in the starlight and his blue-black hair shimmered as if it were alive as he moved almost imperceptibly. She slowly walked to him, wondering what she was doing. _I really have no idea what I'm doing! Oh well, I can think of something._

She sidled up beside him. He stood a full six inches taller than her, but that only served to paint him as even more of an impressive figure. "Beautiful, aren't they?" she asked.

"Very."

She was a little put off. No greeting? She shook her head. Jag really needed to improve his personal skills. Her slight frown turned into a smile. But he was intelligent, talented, and handsome, right? Right. "Uh, Jag, want to go for a walk around the ship?"

She was surprised by how shaky she sounded, or else it was just her. Either way, she wasn't surprised. He responded in his usual fashion. "Yes, I'd like that very much."

Her confidence building, she took his hand. She sensed him become tense at her touch, but she sent his relaxing thoughts, and, despite his strong mind, she felt him relax a bit. She was glad. It just wouldn't do to take a walk with such a tense man. As the two walked out of the room, she saw Zekk, watching them, and smiling.

- - - -

In the middle of a small clearing in the forest, Jacen stopped. He felt something very odd. Like he felt on Belkadan, a small void in the Force. It had to be Yuuzhan Vong warriors. He motioned with his hand for Tenel Ka to stop and be ready. Jacen heard a tiny snap of a twig close by. Out of nowhere, a Vong warrior, brandishing his amphistaff, jumped from a tree above, and nearly landed on Jacen. He rolled away and jumped up to face the tattooed alien warrior. He felt Tenel Ka fighting with another Vong, and he silently wished her luck. He couldn't help her through the Force; he would need all of his concentration here.

The warrior did not attack. It only stood, facing Jacen, while he drew his lightsaber and ignited it. The green-white blade extended and he stared at the warrior. The Vong spoke. "I am Yzrrs Vaii. You are Jacen Solo, a powerful infidel. You slaughtered several of my clan on Ithor. It is my sacred duty to avenge them."

Jacen was more chilled than he cared to admit by the words. He had been the target of his share of alien death threats in his lifetime, but this one. . . was different. It really did make him nervous. He ducked low as the warrior charged him, amphistaff raised. He rolled to the side and came up on one knee brandishing his saber. He faced Yzrrs and parried his attacks with blinding speed. He knew that the Vong were dangerous, and figured that a revenge-bent warrior was no easier to contend with. He felt a sting of pain as the amphistaff singed his stomach. He retaliated and brought his saber down hard on the Vong's staff. The warrior fell back a little and appeared stunned. Jacen felt a boost of strength coming to him. Tenel Ka had either won her fight, or. . . he didn't want to think what might have happened.

Jacen thrust his saber straight and singed the Vong's armor. Yzzrs leaped back, hissing with some pain and anger as the biological armor began to bleed blackish fluid onto the damp forest floor. The warrior seethed with anger and charged Jacen. Yzzrs, blind with rage, apparently didn't see Jacen's lightsaber in front of him. He ran straight onto the energy blade and doubled over, coughing up blood as his tattooed form fell to the ground, limp and dead. Jacen suddenly felt the Force coming back to him, and realized that Tenel Ka was nowhere to be seen. He stretched out with the Force, trying to sense her. He could, but he felt a dozen small voids around her. His stomach twisted into knots that he never knew were possible. She had been captured.

- - - -

Jaina and Jag slowly strode along the outside of the _Spearhead_, enjoying the break in Vong attacks while the Rogue Squadron relocation had taken place. He seemed so tense, she thought. He must not be accustomed to be on the receiving end of affection, she thought with a little smile.

_BOOOOOOM! _A shockwave hit the _Spearhead_ and Jaina went flying to the ground. She scrambled to the nearest viewport and was horrified by what she saw. Two Yuuzhan Vong cruisers had come in out of nowhere, seemingly, accompanied by a compliment of at least forty coralskippers. A voice blared over the loudspeakers. "Fzzzxxxxt. . . A Yuuzhan Vong attack in underway . . . skkkrttcchtt. . . all hands to battle stations!"

Jag leaped from the ground and began to run to the hangar where the fighters were being serviced. The attack had caught them completely off guard and several fighters were not spaceworthy. He turned just before he ran through the door. "Jaina! Hurry, we must get to our fighters."

"Jag, I'm off of active duty, remember?"

"Well then, you are an honorary member of the 181st TIE Interceptor Squadron."

"Um, I've flown an Interceptor three times in sims and never in life. I'd crash within two minutes of getting clear of the ship."

"Jaina, remember what you said? This is about trust. Follow me."

She was reluctant to disobey Colonel Darklighter, but was she really disobeying him? She tried not to think about it, and jumped to her feet and quickly dashed up alongside Jag. They ran full on until they reached the hangar. Two TIE Interceptors were sitting, waiting, in the far corner of the hangar. Jag dashed to one and quickly climbed in. Jaina, unfamiliar with the fighter, struggled to climb in. She plopped unceremoniously into the chair and sealed the hatch as she called on her limited sim training to provide her with some insight. She managed to fire up the engines and get shields online.

Jag's TIE blasted out of the hangar, into the fray, and Jaina followed, quite a bit behind. "Jag, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Cover me, would you?"

"Of course."

Inside the black cockpit, Jaina was already sweating profusely. She was managing fairly well, but was still uncomfortable, of course, with the fighter. She roared into the thick of battle, right behind a coralskipper that was busy pursuing an A-Wing. She loosed a quad burst, and the skip's dovin basal caught two of the blasts. The other two got through and fragmented the fighter into halves, both spinning away in random directions.

Jaina saw Jag veer off towards a pair of coralskippers. She followed suit, and just as she was about to unleashed a blast on the right skips, Jag loosed a volley of green fire and incinerated it. "Uh-oh. Jag, behind you!"

The two TIEs veered off to the sides as a volley of hot plasma seared the space where they had been not three seconds before. However, the plasma volley caught an unfortunate Z-95 in the engines, and it went spiraling down to the moon below. They were close to Garqi, but there was no way to tell if the brownish-grey ball was a satellite of Garqi, or some other distant planet, and Jaina didn't care at that moment.

Suddenly, all the coralskippers that had been engaging the _Spearhead's_ X-Wings, A-Wings, Z-95s, and TIEs stopped their dogfighting and vectored in on the capital ship, pouring fire into it. Jaina winced as the capital ship split into two jagged halves under the brunt of the Vong fire. She closed her eyes, praying to the Force that Raynar had escaped alive. She would find out soon enough, of course. But how had the Yuuzhan Vong known that Rogue Squadron was going to be at that moon, at that time? Jaina smacked her forehead. They had infiltrated the New Republic. There was a Vong inside Rogue Squadron. She had felt no void in the Force like she had been told that the Vong were able to create, but she knew that one was inside the fighter group. She would expose the alien and make him pay for his mistake.

- - - -

Uran Lyttr watched with contentment the scene he had wrought. These infidels, so reliant on machines and technology. He had been chosen by the newest war commander to infiltrate the elite fighter squadron, and he had succeeded. He had brought a Vong war fleet down upon the _Spearhead_ and scattered the infidel forces, introducing into their foolish hearts the fear of treason and infiltration. Behind his ooglith cloaker, Uran Lyttr could hardly contain a supreme laugh at the fools he had outsmarted.

- - - -

Jacen peered over the ridge, not knowing what to see. Almost expecting a sea of green foliage and trees that were so common on Dathomir, he was instead greeted by the visage of a Yuuzhan Vong encampment, settled in the valley below his position. He knew that there were at least a few dozen warriors down there; he couldn't risk it. He had to get help. He broke from the cliff and began to dash back to the _Aquarius._ He arrived in decent time with Force-boosted speed, rushing to get a transmission off.

He was greeted by a blackened crater in the ground, where the ship would have been. The smell of ozone was thick in the air; the Vong must have destroyed it. Jacen fell to his knees and thumped the ground with his fists. Curse the Force! _What now?_

The answer, or at least the obvious one, came to him right away. He needed to seek out the Singing Mountain Clan, and find Teneniel Djo. He knew that she would help him, even if he was a man. He didn't know where the clan was located, but since Tenel Ka was extremely Force-sensitive, Teneniel must have had a reasonable amount of Force power. He stretched out with the Force, searching, for who he hoped would be his allies.

Jacen's eyes were bloodshot and had black circles under them from lack of sleep. He hadn't slept in almost two days; his Jedi strength enhancement techniques would only go so far. He was giving up hope, and that was when he felt his exhausted Jedi senses picked up a sizable Force presence, in reasonable close proximity to his location. He smiled weakly and almost collapsed when a warrior woman on a domesticated rancor. He recognized the woman from a few previous visits; she was one of the Singing Mountain Clan.

He waved and the woman steered her rancor to him. She eyed Jacen up and down, and he suddenly remembered that Dathomiri women saw men as more of a commodity. She finished looking him over and asked a simple question. "What is your name?"

"Jacen Solo." he said weakly.

Her eyes widened a little bit as she heard the name. He felt any thoughts of capture vanish from her mind at his reply. He must have been well known throughout the clan. "Ah, yes. I know your name. Why are you here, in Singing Mountain land?"

"I must speak to Teneniel Djo. It's very urgent, I must go to her now."

The warrior woman shook her head and sighed. "Teneniel must not be bothered. She is training in her newfound Force abilities, and she insists that no distractions should interfere with her practices." said the woman, maintaining her deadpan expression and voice. "Nevertheless, please tell me why you have come."

"Tenel Ka, Teneniel's daughter, had been captured by the Yuuzhan Vong. On this planet."

Her eyes widened with fear, something Jacen had rarely, if ever, had seen any Dathomiri do. "I will take you to her at once."

Jacen tried to smile, despite the serious implications of the situation. Somehow, he had just known that his statement would provoke that kind of reaction. The Yuuzhan Vong had a way of doing that."

- - - -

Jaina watched the _Spearhead's_ two jagged halves sink from the battlefield, into the gravitational pull of the moon below. As she watched the flurry of escape pods flit away from the dying ship, she knew that there was no way that all of the crew had gotten out alive. She was surprised when the Vong ships that had been so recently assaulting them peeled away and jumped into hyperspace, or whatever alien dimension they traveled through.

One by one, the escape pods turned into tiny white flecks against the moon's mottled color. Jaina could sense Raynar, injured but alive, on one of the closer escape pods. His escape pod was one that had been manufactured specifically for bridge crews. It was equipped with maneuvering jets and sublight engines. Jaina was momentarily glad that all of the surviving TIEs were the newest models, with hyperdrives and shields installed, or else it would be a long way to, well, anywhere.

Turning the fighter's comm system on, she could hear the relieved pilot chatter. Colonel Darklighter's voice seemed to rise above the others as he spoke, not to her, but to his wingman and second-in-command. "I hope Lieutenant Solo made it out in time."

She couldn't resist answering. "Colonel, Lieutenant Jaina Solo reporting for duty."

"Gods, I'm glad you're alright. Wait a minute. Where are you?"

She chuckled. "In a TIE. I'm an honorary member of the 181st TIE Squadron, you know."

She could sense his puzzled thoughts. "Right. We'll discuss this when we reach a safe point. For now, our best bet is Yavin. Set a course immediately and jump. Rogues four, six, and myself, as well as some of the Headhunters will keep an eye on the escape pods. Send help as soon as possible."

One of the TIE pilots piped up. "Yavin? Isn't Agamar almost fifteen light years closer?"

"Yes, major, but you forget. Agamar was captured by the Vong two days ago."

That shut him up. One by one, the fighters set courses and engaged, their small forms blinking into hyperspace with a small pinpoint of light. Jaina was one of the last to go. She instinctively reached for the S-foil controls on the console, but pressed empty space. She shook her head; she wasn't in an X-Wing, of course. She found the correct lever and pulled it back, watching the white stars turn to streaks as she entered hyperspace.

- - - -

Jacen sat in the anteroom of the house that belonged to Teneniel Djo. He was being allowed freedom of movement, but even the guards standing at the door gave him puzzled, and sometimes appraising looks. He was lucky that he had such a rapport with Teneniel, or else he probably would have been some warrior woman's love slave by now. He was also lucky that the woman who found him hadn't captured him on the spot. He would've been too weak to fight her off. His musing on his luck was interrupted as Teneniel Djo emerged from the area beyond the foyer. "Jacen. I have been told that you have grave news." she said grimly.

Jacen didn't take any time with pleasantries. "Yes, that's true."

Her face, though youthful, began to show its age as she spoke, worry building inside of her. "Tell me what has happened. And what we can do about it."

"Well, I'll start at the beginning. I was given a mission to scout Dathomir for Yuuzhan Vong scouts, since this planet is along their invasion route. And it seems that we found some."

She took that small morsel of information in, and pondered for a moment. "Right. But how was Tenel Ka captured? She is extremely capable. She is my daughter."

"I won't argue with that. Anyway, we were in the forest, quite a distance from here. Two Yuuzhan Vong ambushed us, and we each had to duel with one. I was so busy concentrating on my opponent that I didn't see or even sense Tenel Ka getting farther and farther away. I defeated my foe, but as I finished, I could sense Tenel Ka, but I could sense the presence, or lack thereof, of at least a dozen Yuuzhan Vong warriors. I followed them at a distance; I was lucky, that even with Force cloaking I went undetected. And that's the worst news."

Teneniel lifted her head. "There is more?"

He nodded. "It gets better. Or worse, depending on your outlook. I followed them to a small canyon, and found the beginnings of a Yuuzhan Vong encampment. It's small as of yet, but given any time, it will grow, and we will be powerless to stop it."

She nodded, a grim determination in her eyes. "Yes. We will fight them, we will fight them with all of our power."

"Do you have a communications system?"

She pointed to a desk inside of the area beyond the anteroom. He walked through, and activated the setup. It was different from the ones he was used to, but he was able to activate it. He keyed in the frequency of the academy, and was rewarded when Lusa's fair-colored face and fiery red mane appeared on the screen. She looked distraught, but seemed to cheer up as she saw him. "Jacen! It's good to see you."

"Same here, Lusa. Look, I don't want to be rude or anything, but we have a pretty serious situation on our hands here. I'm on Dathomir, and I found a Yuuzhan Vong encampment. They also captured Tenel Ka."

She flinched. "Alright. I can send some Jedi to you; they may not be the best, but I'll see if I can round up Kyp or Ganner or someone."

"Alright. Well, I should go."

"Wait, before you do, there's some things I should tell you. The Bornaryn fleet has been destroyed."

He was in shock for a moment. "Wasn't that where. . ."

"Yes, it was where Rogue Squadron was going to be located."

He could sense a great distress in her as she spoke. If the Bornaryn fleet had been destroyed, did that mean Raynar was dead? No, it couldn't be. "Lusa, I'm sure Raynar survived. . . any word from Jaina."

She shook her head no. "No, but we've been having an assortment of fighters bearing Rogue Squadron and Bornaryn markings jumping into the system for the last few hours. If Jaina survived, she should be here soon. But I don't know about Raynar. . ." she paused and shook her head. Jacen could sense her using Jedi calming techniques to soothe her worried nerves. "If he got out on an escape pod, there's no telling where he could be."

Jacen was worried, too. He had never been a great friend of Raynar's, but they were still on good terms, as far as he knew. "Well, have they sent any ships out to sift through the wreckage?"

She nodded an affirmative. "Yes, but since most of our cruisers our on patrol duty, we could only scrape together a few old Corellian Corvettes."

Jacen shuddered. If they ran into even half a dozen Vong coralskippers, the two small cruisers would be utterly decimated. He hoped that they would make it in one piece. "Well, he'll be fine, I'm sure."

Lusa nodded a silent acknowledgment. "Wait a minute. I'm getting a message here. . . two TIEs just came out of hyperspace. One's Jag Fel, the other is. . ." she paused to confirm. "It's Jaina!"

What was Jaina doing in a TIE Interceptor, Jacen wondered. Oh well, she was safe at least. "When she lands, put her on, would you?"

"Will do."

Jacen turned as the comm transmission faded out. He turned and saw Teneniel Djo, watching him. "It appears that everything is in order." she said flatly. "We should make preparations for a raiding party."

Jacen shook his head no. "No, we have to wait for a short time. Two reasons. One, my sister is going to send me a message in two minutes. I haven't spoken to her in three months; I'd like to. Another reason being that a half dozen more Jedi will be arriving within eight hours. They will help us greatly in battle."

"I see your points. I will gather the warriors and brief them. Please, join us when you are done here."

"Won't they. . ."

"Jacen, I believe that our clan had the utmost respect for you. Though you are a man. . ." she seemed to immediately regret her biased tone of voice. "I'm sorry. Let me finish. You are my daughter's best friend. You are also a Jedi, and are the son of the New Republic's former chief of state, as well as one of its most distinguished generals. You have earned our respect."

Jacen, relieved and distraught, flashed the distinctive lop-sided Solo grin. "I'm glad."

"Carry on."

Teneniel walked out of the house, into the commons, summoning the warrior women together. Jacen turned back to the communications console, and waited.

- - - -

Jaina was quite all right, as it turned out. All of the pilots who had made it into hyperspace had arrived at Yavin 4 and were being treated for injures or repairing their ships. The two Corvettes made it to the moon and were currently on their way back to Coruscant, with a detour to Yavin.

As a ship descended through the clouds above the warrior village, Jacen recognized it as the _Journeyman_, a medium-sized attack class transport that frequently shuttled Jedi around on their various missions. It closed in, and was on the ground in a matter of minutes. Jacen was quite pleased at who stepped out.

Lusa had done quite well; she had sent an A-team of Jedi to assist Jacen and the warrior women in the fight against the Vong. The ship landed at coordinates that Jacen had sent it, and disembarking first was Ganner Rhysode, a newly knighted Jedi who had done battle with the Yuuzhan Vong on Garqi, and according to Corran, had gained a bit of humbleness in the process.

Next came a Jedi woman, whom Jacen had never seen before. All the while, while he was shaking hands with the Jedi and filling them in on the situation, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had long, flowing black hair down to the middle of her back, with some loose, colorful braids in places. Her eyes were a cool, stony grey color that reminded him very much of Tenel Ka. She was clothed in a tight black jumpsuit, with a number of patches and pockets and holsters covering it, her lightsaber hanging at her side.

Her name was Kara Torosseval, and with the five other Jedi, would make a formidable stand against the Yuuzhan Vong. Aside from Ganner and Kara, there was a young man with snowy white hair, and slightly red skin. Jacen recognized him as Y'nas Tarralin, a Torrallian who had been about a year behind Jacen at the academy. Torral was a world in the mid rim of planets, clear on the other side of the Core Worlds, away from the Vong invasion corridor.

Next to him was an older Trandoshan name Korassk, who had been a teacher at the academy recently. Jacen had seen him come and going during his studies at the academy, but had never paid him much mind. Now it would be wise to do so. He was a good foot taller than any of the other assembled Jedi, and his lightsaber handle was carved from the smelted remains of an oversized blaster that had belonged to his father, Tyrassk. The lightsaber was about twice as large as any of the others, since the reptilian being's hands were very large. He greeted Jacen with a light snarl and gurgle, which Jacen took to be a friendly greeting.

Alongside the Trandoshan stood a Wookiee. Jacen was surprised, not by the Jedi being a Wookiee, but at her height. He had known many Wookiees in his time, and he had known them to be at least two meters tall, even adolescents. Fallynnyyar was her name, as she introduced herself via a small translation computer hitched to her syren-fiber belt. She was only a meter and a half tall, with black fur, and streaks of sharp silver on her face. Her eyes radiated a cool, calm determination, and a smoldering hatred from the Yuuzhan Vong. She barked a sign of readiness and patted the oversize lightsaber hanging at her side.

Lastly, there was a short human man, who, by his face, looked to be about twenty-five. He introduced himself as Petrik Varsau. He was a head shorter than Jacen, but thick muscles bulged beneath his black and grey jumpsuit. His fiery red hair and sharp black eyes made for an interesting contrast, but Jacen was not concerned with facial features at this moment. Except, perhaps, for Kara's. . .

He felt a bit of discomfort. He was only seventeen, still a child by many standards, and here he was, leading a group of Jedi who were all at least three and at most twenty-five years older than him. He calmed his nerves and motioned to the village, barely visible in the distance. "Alright. We have to go to the village and round up the warriors. I'll tell you what's going on while we're en route."

The seven started off towards the village, a shadow against the lowering sun of Dathomir. Jacen briefed them completely on the situation, and he wrapped up tidily as the Jedi arrived at the village to find two dozen warrior women, led by Teneniel Djo, waiting for them at the gates. "We attack tonight." she said simply.

Korassk snarled barely intelligible Basic, but managed to get his point across. "I agreesssss. Weeeeess sssshoulddd waaaittt nnno longgger thhhhan weee muuuussst."

Jacen voiced his doubts. "But the Vong probably have some kind of advanced night vision! They could have a great advantage over us."

Teneniel focused on Jacen and spoke as she drilled his chest with her eyes. "We must not delay. Especially not if we wish to rescue Tenel Ka."

Jacen flinched. She had been aiming to hit him in that sore spot. He found no quarter in disagreeing. "Then we will go now. Follow me. Petrik, Korassk, and the rest of you, please introduce yourselves." said Jacen diplomatically.

There were gurgles, hoots and howls, and worded introductions as the warrior women and the Jedi Knights began to move out. A few women on rancors brought up the rear and the side flanks, to guard against ambushes. Jacen felt his confidence grow, and he felt the Force stronger than he ever had. He knew that his Jedi and the fierce warrior women would make the Vong pay. They would if it was the last thing they ever did.

- - - -

Lusa trotted out onto the tarmac of the landing pad adjacent to the academy, and waited. She could see the two Corellian Corvettes in orbit, out of the line of fire. Dropships were gently bringing the recovered escape pods to the ground, and she badly wanted to know if Raynar was among the recovered people. She waited. And waited.

Finally, the Corvettes left orbit as the final dropship came down. She walked to it and waited by the entrance. It was a small ship, hardly large enough for two people. The door hissed open, and out stumbled Raynar. Burned, bleeding, dazed, but still, it was Raynar. Lusa grabbed him in her strong, lithe arms and held him close. He couldn't quite return her loving embrace; one of his arms was fractured in several places, and it dangled strangely at his side. He yelped in pain as she brushed his arm. "Ahh!"

"Oh, Raynar! I'm sorry. I've got to get you to the medical wing."

She hoisted him onto her back, and tore off into the temple, her four hoofed feet clacking noisily on the ground as she tore into the temple. It took no time at all for her to reach the medical pavilion. The only occupant was an old 2-1B medical droid, which came to them and offered assistance. "I am 2-1B. What is the nature of your medical emergency?" the droid said in its annoying monotone voice.

Lusa laid Raynar down on the closest examination table and ordered the droid to attend to him. "He has severe burns, trauma, and a fractured arm."

The droid complied and began to use a bacta swab to clean his burns. Lusa stood back and let the qualified droid do its work. She promised Raynar silently that she would stay with him until he was well. She swore that he smiled ever so slightly as she thought it.

- - - -

Jacen was the first at the lip of the crater that housed the Yuuzhan Vong encampment. The Dathomiri women made a perimeter around the location as the Jedi hunched over the ridge and used macrobinoculars to observe the Vong. Korassk spoke. "Thhhheee Yyyyyuuuzhaaan Vooonngg appppeeaar toooo haveeee a heavvvy comppppllliimmmennnt oofffff guardsssss aaarrrouunddd thhhhatt buuuiiilldding." he pointed at on of the conch-shell shaped structures with a long, taloned finger.

Teneniel spoke. "That's where they are holding Tenel Ka."

"How do you know?" asked Y'nas.

"I can feel her through the Force. Plus, would they guard anything but a Jedi so heavily."

"You have a point," conceded Y'nas.

Ganner, sounding quite impatient, piped up in a petulant tone. "Well, what are we waiting for? Why don't we just go in and get her out? And then torch this place?"

Petrik, with a kind of wisdom in his voice that belied his seemingly few years, spoke. "Ganner, be patient. These aren't your average foes. We need to. . . respect them, if you will."

Ganner shut up, peeved by the waiting. The Jedi and the warrior women scouted long into the night, waiting and watching for the right time to attack.

EPILOGUE

Lusa stood over Raynar as the medical droid injected a shot of stimulators into his body. Raynar's left eye opened slowly, followed by his right. He looked at the ceiling for a time, trying to shake the disorientation from his head. He looked at his arm. It had been broken in six places, but the medical automaton had done an excellent job of healing it and killing the pain. Raynar flexed his arm, to make sure he was not seeing things.

And he knew he was alive when he saw her. Lusa stood over him, smiling her lovely smile, her red mane lightly moving behind her as she breathed deep sighs of relief. "I love you, Raynar." she said as she bent down and kissed him lightly, brushing his matted hair.

Through choked breaths, he was able to speak. "I. . .love you. . . Lusa."

- - - -

Tenel Ka was uncomfortable. That she would not deny. The Vong had her arms bound above her head, tied to a stake in the moist wall of the prison. She watched the changing of the guard, could feel their void in the Force. There would be no escape.

No! She could feel a strong Force presence, just barely, near the edge of the small encampment. She could feel. . . Jacen! He had come to rescue her. She felt other powerful Jedi, as well as her mother, waiting to ambush the Yuuzhan Vong that held her captive.

Tenel Ka suppressed a smile as she thought of rescue. She knew that it would not be easy for the Jedi and warrior women to fight the Vong, but she had confidence that her friends would rescue her; she knew they would. She closed her eyes and stretched out with the Force, trying to bypass her pain and lassitude as she sent out waves with the Force. She felt her friends respond, and she was happy. She wriggled a bit at her slimy bonds to keep her circulation going, closing her eyes. A battle would be fought over her soon. She prayed for the best and waited, as the day broke outside.

[Back to prologue][3]  
[Back to NJO][1]

   [1]: njo.html
   [2]: mailto:guerrillaradi0@hotmail.com
   [3]: reunion.html



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